When you think about electric cars, chances are your mind conjures up the coyly, charming face of Elon Musk, founder of Tesla. He tells us how humans should become a multi-planetary species and how, yes, somewhere along the way, we will drive chic and clean electric cars. The future is possible! It is within reach, if we just bundle our technological and entrepreneurial might.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that as many as 220 million sub-Saharan Africans will gain access to electricity through micro-grids by 2040. This translates into a deployment of 100,000 – 200,000 systems or a market opportunity upwards of $1bn. A pretty clear call to arms for the business community, it seems.
The expansion of microgrids is accelerating due to the resilience and flexibility they provide as well as the speed with which they can bring electricity to the unelectrified. In order for them to be profitable as well, they need to be optimized.
Over the next 30 years we will be building a new urban habitat for about a third of the world’s population. The way we will build those cities will lock in certain lifestyles and emissions for decades to come. Therefore, we have to do it intelligently: in a way that is inexpensive, provides comfort and safety, saves local resources and keeps the climate impact low.
Everyone is fully on board with the idea that the digital future is a central part of the future of their industries. They expect enormous changes, new business opportunities and new competitors. There seems to be a consensus that this is a new animal that requires an approach that is different. So far, so good. Yet, most are quite unsure about the specific likely implications and the best approach to take moving forward. There is a sense of gambling, a sense that traditional strategy development will not apply.
Over the past few years, as the German solar market has slowed to a steady, unsubsidized pace, India has emerged as one of the most dynamic new markets. It wants to build as much as 40 GW rooftop solar by 2022 and a total of 100 GW. Is the German … [continued]
What do India’s solar CEOs expect of the market? Every year in April, the consultancy BRIDGE TO INDIA (which I founded) publishes its “India Solar Handbook.” Now in its 5th season, it has become the definitive guide to India’s booming solar market, with an overview of industry trends, policies, and projections. It can … [continued]
The energy world is changing fast. Investments into renewable energy are outpacing investments into conventional energy. The incumbents, unused to this pace of change and tied down by large asset bases and long-term investment strategies, are struggling. The first to be hit were the utilities in developed countries with a high share of renewables … [continued]
At the “Energy for Tomorrow” conference in Paris, last week, one of the core discussions in the energy industry was: is a low-carbon world a challenge of deployment or one of innovation? In other words: do we already have the technologies we need (e.g. solar, wind, grid management) and now just need to … [continued]
The Paris Agreement on reducing global warming got everyone very excited. The leaders of the world came together and agreed on a deal that arguably helps and has some teeth. That is really good news. However, it’s not enough. And it is a topic too important to leave to politics. This … [continued]
